Only In My Dreams
by youna.yoru
Summary: 私の夢は過去、そこにしか無い. 'The past is the only place where my dream exists'. This tragic story focuses on Senryu Reiko & her struggles in attempt to save the man she loves from an inevitable tragedy. Original character Reiko x Itachi *WARNING SPOILERS*
1. Episode I

episode I

He could hear their low voices arguing but he couldn't make out the words. Yamato lay silently on the ground, staring up at the vast night sky spotted with brilliant stars as far as his eyes could see. He wondered briefly what they were arguing about, but he knew it had something to do with Akatsuki, mainly because he had sensed the tension between them both since their prior fight with two of the Akatsuki members.

He sat up, rubbing his temples. At the rate that they were going, he wasn't going to get much sleep. He glanced over at Sakura who was sleeping peacefully. Yamato rose to his feet slowly and quietly snuck into the woods towards where he assumed was the path they both had taken earlier.

They hadn't gone far, but the nearby rushing river only made it harder to make out what they were saying. Perched on the one of the large rocks by the river, looking both frustrated and concerned, was Hatake Kakashi. Reiko was standing by his side, but she was facing away, towards the river.

'You've been acting funny since our encounter with those two,' Kakashi was saying, his voice low and grave.

'I'm just tired,' she responded curtly.

'You're not usually like this when you're tired. I know you, Reiko. What happened? Did Itachi say something to you?'

'No, it's …nothing like that.' There was a note of finality in her voice.

Kakashi glanced away, and for a moment a silence stretched between them.

Yamato, shrouded in the shadows of the trees, recalled what happened earlier during their encounter with two notorious members of Akatsuki – Hoshigaki Kisame and the infamous Uchiha Itachi. It had taken them a while to realize it, but during their battle, Itachi and Reiko were nowhere to be seen. They had initially suspected that Itachi was fighting with Reiko, but when they found her after the Akatsuki members fled, she did not appear to have just been in a battle. If anything, she just appeared visibly distraught.

'What is this secret about Itachi that you have to keep hidden so protectively?' Kakashi asked finally after a long silence.

'There are no secrets, and I'm not hiding anything.'

Kakashi said patiently, 'I know about you and Itachi before he left Konoha. You two were –'

'There is nothing to that either,' Reiko snapped in a low voice, as if trying to suppress her anger. 'We attended the academy together but I barely knew him. That's all.'

Kakashi exhaled in exasperation. 'Reiko, whatever information you have on Itachi or Akatsuki could be vital to our mission. You know this is a crucial time for us and we could use any leverage we can get.'

'You don't have to tell me twice,' she interjected abruptly. 'If I knew something that I thought could help us, I'd have said something long ago. But nothing about this can or will change a thing.' She started to walk away, when Kakashi reached out and grabbed her arm.

'So you do know something,' he said as a matter-of-factly.

At that moment, even in the darkness and from the distance, Yamato could have sworn that he saw her expression changed, like a dark cloud descending upon her delicate features. 'You will never understand, Kakashi.' Her eyes closed briefly. 'And besides …it's personal.' She walked away and back into the forest where Yamato was hiding himself.

As he watched her head back to where they set up camp, Kakashi suddenly appeared behind him. 'I thought you were sleeping.'

Yamato glanced over at his senior. 'I was. I heard you two arguing. Sorry. I didn't mean to eavesdrop.'

Kakashi sighed. 'No, I'm sorry. I tried to keep it from you but I guess it's all out in the open now.'

Yamato was stared ahead at Reiko, who was pulling herself back into her own sleeping bag next to Sakura. 'You think she knows something?'

'I'm sure of it,' Kakashi said quietly. 'But she's so stubborn.'

'Well, like she said, she would say something if what she knows is actually vital to Konoha. I don't see her as the traitor type. So maybe it really is just something personal that she doesn't wish to tell,' Yamato mused.

'It doesn't make you curious? Itachi is a rogue ninja exiled from Konoha and she's a dedicated Leaf ninja. What could they possibly have in common that she refuses to let anyone know?' Kakashi paused. 'I think it's fair that I'm a little suspicious of her.'

'You need to have a little more faith in her, senpai,' Yamato said.

'I do have faith in her. But it's times like this that I question about her secrecy.'

'Whatever it is, now isn't the time to think about that. We have bigger matters on our hands.' But even as Yamato said those words, he couldn't help his own growing curiosity of Reiko.

Yamato had first met Reiko during the war with Orochimaru in which the Third Hokage lost his life protecting the Konoha Gakure. She was a jounin but because she wasn't wearing the typical jounin uniform, he hadn't been able to tell what rank she was. He knew of her because of Kakashi's close association with her, although he had never met her prior to that time, and like Kakashi, she had also earned a fair reputation being one of the selected few kunoichis with unparalleled combat skills. While her ingenuity was what made her stand out amongst the Konoha shinobis, the other reasons for her reputation were also due to her exquisite looks and extraordinary talent in medical ninjutsu and uncanny ability in manipulating poisons to her own advantage in battles.

During that war, Yamato was still in ANBU, and his squad had been sent to provide backup for her team who had fought against the enormous snakes summoned by Orochimaru. His ANBU squad had arrived just in time as she defeated the humongous snake, but she was fatally wounded. He had been the one to bring her to the Konoha hospital, but because of his ANBU rank, he never revealed who he was.

Now, a couple years later, Tsunade had him unmasked from ANBU and joined forces with them as a regular Konoha ninja in pursuit of Akatsuki.

***


	2. Episode II

episode II

'_You have to stop before it gets out of control,' she begged. _

_The man standing in front of her was cloaked in the familiar black coat with red clouds, his forehead concealed behind a Konoha head protector that had a sharp slash across it. 'It's going exactly as planned, Reiko,' Uchiha Itachi replied, gazing past the cliffs that overlooked the vast forests. _

_Reiko took a step forward. 'Don't do this, Itachi,' she had pleaded with tears in her eyes. 'It doesn't have to be like this. There is still something you could do before it's too late. If Sasuke gets taken by –'_

'_I won't let that happen,' Itachi had responded in his typical quiet, calm voice. 'I know what you're asking of me, but this …is the one thing I can't do. I've already come this far. I have to finish what I started.'_

'_So you expect me to just stand by and watch it all fall apart?'_

_Itachi shifted slightly, and his trademark crimson eyes met hers in a soft gaze. _

_Reiko's eyes were filled with sorrow as she went on, 'What's the point of letting me know what really happened to you if there's nothing I can do?'_

_He glanced at her with gentle eyes and mustered up the faintest smile. 'I …wanted you to know. It was important to me. But I don't want you to get any more involved in this whole debacle …you've already suffered enough because of me.'_

_Reiko grasped his arm. 'If you know that, then you would understand what I'm feeling right now. Don't make me live the rest of my life in regret because of this.'_

_Itachi gazed down at her, and put his hand over hers that was grasping his own arm. 'I'm sorry …Reiko. I have to do this.'_

'_Your life is just as important as his,' she whispered. 'You would go to such extent for this …?' she trailed off, feeling the helplessness welling up inside her like a gigantic wave. _

_Itachi fell silent, but he held her gaze. 'I have to do what I have to do.'_

_Her light gray eyes reflected the pain she felt inside. 'I have lost you once before,' she said tearfully, her voice barely above a whisper. 'Please …don't make me lose you …again …'_

_His eyes were sad as he lifted one hand and placed it on her cheek. 'I'm sorry …Reiko …that I'll never be the man you want me to be.'_

_The words were like a trigger that unleashed a floodgate of emotions within her. She knew the whole situation was as hopeless as she felt inside, and there really was nothing she could do, and that was exactly what hurt most. _

_She turned away just as a lone tear forlornly slipped down her cheek, and Itachi quietly placed his arms around her, drawing her closer to him as she wept silently on his shoulder. _

***


	3. Episode III

episode III

_A few months passed …_

The bolt of chakra barely missed her as she dodged, and the next thing she knew, Kabuto was rushing towards her with one hand glowing of condensed chakra that mimicked the shape of a blade. Collapsed on the ground, Reiko tried to push herself away to evade the attack again but she knew it was too late. He was coming at her at an incredibly high speed. She braced herself for the attack and prepared to execute a chakra shield.

In the last split second before Kabuto hit her, a swift, blurry movement obstructed her view and the next thing she knew, there was a deafening blast as Kabuto's jutsu made impact, and Yamato collapsed forward onto the ground. It took a moment for the realization to register in her head that he had been struck by Kabuto's attack that was actually aimed for her. Her heart seemed to skip a beat and her eyes widened. 'Yamato!' she cried in shock.

'Huh …I guess gallantry still exists in some parts of the world,' Kabuto smirked, a gloating expression crossing his face despite his tattered appearance.

Reiko rushed to Yamato's aid, her mind racing furiously. He had been hit just below the right ribs, and she hastily performed medical ninjutsu to stop the blood gushing from the wound. She lifted her head and glared at Kabuto. 'Kabuto, you –'

Kabuto was in the midst of healing himself from the injuries he had sustained during their battle. 'I'd love to stay and hang around with you two more, but unfortunately I have to go. The fight was a good workout, though.'

'Don't run away, you coward!' she snapped, but before she could move a muscle, he leapt away and disappeared off into the forests. She clenched her fist and started rising to her feet to chase after him.

Yamato placed a hand on her arm. 'Let him go,' he said, struggling to sit up. 'It's not worth chasing after him.'

'Yamato?' She looked at him with sheer concern in her eyes. 'You shouldn't be moving too much, you'll bleed again.'

'I'm okay, really. It's worse than it looks,' he said reassuringly.

Reiko shook her head, wondering how did things turn so grave so quickly. They weren't even on a real mission – Tsunade had requested for the two of them to conduct a daily routine check of the areas surrounding the Konohagakure while Kakashi's team was on a mission. It was by sheer coincidence that they had crossed paths with Kabuto, Orochimaru's faithful aide, which ended in an inevitable battle.

She applied pressure on his wound, and when the bleeding finally lessened, she took out bandages from her kit. 'You are being too blithe about this,' she said, upset that he had been hurt because of her, and to make matters worse, he was acting so light-hearted about it. She gently removed his vest, which was soaked with blood, then put her hand over the wound and expulsed chakra from her hand to close the wound. 'I can't believe you jump in front of a direct attack like that.'

He winced a little as the chakra from her hands absorbed into his body, but mustered a weak grin. 'I'm sorry …should I jump behind one next time?'

Reiko shot him a look and slapped him on the arm lightly with her free hand. 'Funny,' she murmured. 'I'm serious, Yamato. You could've been wounded worse.'

He caught her hand with his and smiled. 'I told you, I'm fine. When he hit me, I managed to reduce the damage with my mokuton ninjutsu.' As he said that, his fingers grasping her hand gradually transformed into wood.

'Hey –' Reiko's light gray widened.

Yamato laughed lightly at her stunned expression, then released his grip on her, his fingers turning back to normal.

She glowered at him as she applied the bandage over his wound. 'Really, Yamato! You're impossible. I can't believe you're cracking jokes when you're injured.'

'I don't want you to be worried, Reiko,' he said, in a more serious tone.

Reiko shook her head. 'You barely gave me the chance to even worry a little about you.' She tore off two strips of masking tapes and secured it over the square bandage. 'There.'

Yamato smiled gratefully as he put on his vest. 'Thanks for patching me up. See? There really wasn't anything to worry about.' He looked at her. 'I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking clearly when I jumped in front of that attack. All I could think about was protecting you.'

Reiko lowered her gaze as she busied herself with putting the tools back in her pouch. 'You don't have to protect me. I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself.'

'And here I thought chivalry in men was supposed to be attractive to girls.'

Reiko smiled faintly. 'No, I mean …I _am_ grateful for what you did. But …' She shook her head. 'It's just that I'll never be able to forgive myself if you got hurt because of me.'

'Well …' Yamato leaned back against the tree trunk and propped an elbow on a raised knee. 'There really isn't anything to forgive, because you haven't done anything wrong. You really do …think too much.'

She glanced at him for a moment, her eyes softening. 'I'm sorry, Yamato. And thank you.'

His dark eyes watched hers quietly, then smiled. 'Ah. You know …this brings back memories.'

'Of what?' she asked, knitting her eyebrows.

'The first time I met you.'

Reiko frowned. 'The first time we met? In Kakashi's hospital ward?' She was speaking of the first time she met him when they coincidentally bumped into one another while visiting Kakashi in the Konoha Hospital, and Kakashi had introduced them to each other.

'No …I mean, that was the first time we officially met. But I met you long before that,' Yamato said, his dark eyes gleaming.

She looked confused. 'When?'

Yamato smiled as if he had a juicy secret that he hadn't told anyone before. 'It was over two years ago, when Orochimaru attacked Konoha and sent in the summoned giant snakes. Your team fought against one of the snakes …and my squad was sent to provide backup for your team. But when we arrived, you had already defeated the snake.'

A bewildered expression settled on her face as she struggled to recall what he had just told her. 'Your squad?'

'You don't remember?' Yamato studied her expression carefully. 'You were quite badly injured when we got to you, and your other teammates were unconscious.'

'I can't recall much about what happened after the battle,' Reiko admitted. 'But …as far as I could remember, the ones who came to get us were ANBU elites.' She paused suddenly, glancing at him. 'You're part of ANBU?'

He nodded. 'Well, I was. That's how I met Kakashi,' he replied. 'We used to be on the same squad in ANBU.'

She looked surprised. 'I never knew that.'

Yamato smiled at her. 'Now you do. I thought you'd remember that you collapsed in my arms.'

Reiko looked at him, and an embarrassed smile started playing across her lips. 'I did?'

'Yeah,' Yamato replied. 'You said to me, 'You're late' and then you passed out. I took you to the hospital.'

'God. How humiliating,' she said, shaking her head. 'I can't believe you haven't said anything all this time that we know each other.'

He laughed lightly. 'How is that humiliating? I thought you were incredible, taking on that gigantic snake alone after all your other teammates passed out.' He gazed at her. 'I'm sorry it took me this long to tell you. I guess it's not really something that would come up in a conversation when we're on missions together.'

'I guess not.' Reiko looked at him quietly. 'If you were in ANBU previously, then I guess Yamato isn't your real name? As far as I know, ANBU elites always run by codenames.'

'Yes, you're quite right. Yamato is a codename that Tsunade-sama assigned to me when she put me in charge of Kakashi's team.'

'And your real name?'

Yamato smiled slyly. 'Why do you want to know?'

She nudged him playfully. 'Because you just revealed to me that you know more about me than I thought. I think you owe it to me to tell me something about yourself.'

'It's Tenzou,' Yamato offered. 'I don't usually offer up my real name this easily. I'm sure you know that masking our identities is absolutely vital in ANBU.'

Reiko gazed at him, and smiled, somewhat glad that he didn't think it was necessary to hide his real name from her. 'Tenzou …hnn. I kinda like it.'

Yamato smiled, his eyes lingering on her. 'Now can I tell you something else?'

'About what?'

He paused, then sat up straight and beckoned towards her with one hand. 'Come closer.'

'What is it?' Reiko drew her eyebrows together in puzzlement, but she inched closer to him as he told her to. Now she was sitting next to him, facing him, as he sat against the tree trunk.

Yamato's dark eyes were gazing into hers intensely. 'This …' Before she had a chance to react, he swiftly leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.

She didn't know if it was because she was too shocked or that she didn't mind, but she felt no resistance even as the realization gradually dawn in her. Although she was too stunned to react initially, Reiko eventually felt herself melting into the intense kiss. He placed his hands on her back and drew her closer to him as he pressed his lips harder against hers.

_Tenzou …_The feel of his tender lips was unfamiliar against hers yet she felt herself being helplessly drawn to it. She placed her fingers lightly on his prominent jaw line and relaxed against his strong frame. Her heart was fluttering rapidly and there was a concoction of unexplainable emotions welling within her.

For a split second, a fleeting image of a familiar face flashed behind her closed eyes, and she broke the kiss abruptly. Reiko pulled away slightly, breathing hard and her face flushed pink.

Yamato encircled his arms around her and pulled her close to him, pressing his lips against her forehead. 'I'm sorry if I caught you off guard,' he murmured in a voice barely audible.

Reiko closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder. 'You always apologize for the smallest things.'

'I'm sorr –'

She laughed a little. 'You're doing it again.'

Yamato smiled. 'I was kidding. Alright. But I'm not sorry for kissing you.'

Reiko lifted her head and gazed into his dark, intense eyes. 'Neither am I,' she whispered, as their lips met again in a more passionate kiss.

***


	4. Episode IV

episode IV

_Two weeks later …_

The burial ground for the Konoha shinobis was a place that she had always dreaded going to. She lowered herself to the gravestone and brushed it tenderly with one hand. Despite the fact that she was visiting his gravestone, Reiko felt as if the realization that Sarutobi Asuma had passed on had not completely dawn within her.

She placed a packet of cigarettes on the gravestone. 'Here,' she whispered. 'I thought you could use this.'

A pile of beautiful flowers adorned the gravestone, but Reiko had not felt like bringing flowers just to be left to wither away. The irony was simply too much for her to accept and while bringing a pack of cigarettes wasn't exactly a touching gesture, she couldn't imagine what other objects could signify sufficient importance for her in attempt to pay her respects to Asuma.

She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't hear footsteps approaching her, and only noticed when she felt an unmistakable presence behind her.

'I never expected to see you here,' Kakashi said as he approached the gravestone next to her.

Reiko observed him quietly. 'Asuma was also a precious friend to me.'

'You weren't at his funeral yesterday,' he pointed out.

She glanced away, her eyes poignant. 'I …hate funerals.'

Kakashi chuckled mirthlessly as he cast a glance at her. 'Who doesn't?'

She was silent as she stared pensively at the gravestone. 'I've never been able to overcome that fear …of losing someone.'

Kakashi exhaled heavily. 'Deep within all of us …that fear still remains, Reiko. You're not alone in this.'

Tears stung her eyes and she lowered her head. A transient image of the familiar face fleeted through her mind, and a jolt of pain shot through her like a poisoned arrow.

A while later, they were leaving the burial ground when Kakashi said to her, 'It's good that I bumped into you today. There's something I wanted to talk to you about.'

Reiko cast a sidelong glance at him, her eyes curious. 'What is it?' she asked, although she felt as if she knew what was coming next.

Kakashi glanced at her as they walked. 'I'm sure you're already anticipating this. It's about Tenzou.'

'Why am I not surprised?' she asked dryly.

Kakashi stopped and turned to face her as they approached a steep precipice that overlooked the gushing river beneath. 'You two are …serious?'

Reiko looked at him. 'Would it be so terrible if we are?'

'Actually, I meant to ask …are _you_ serious – about him?'

Her eyes narrowed a little as she stared at him. 'That's interesting. You think this is one-sided?'

Kakashi hesitated. 'Reiko …to be honest, I've always had my own suspicions about how Tenzou feels towards you. So I wasn't completely surprised when he came forth to me about it.' He paused, as if expecting her to retort something back at him, but she remained silent. 'But you, on the other hand …well, I guess you surprised me.'

Reiko was quiet. 'Because you never expect that I would feel the same way towards him?'

He observed her expression warily. 'In a way, yes.'

It was transient but he could almost see an annoyed expression shadowing her face as she stared stonily at him. 'How do you expect me to respond to something like that?'

'Don't get mad,' Kakashi implored. 'I'm not criticizing you.'

'You talk as if I'm some kind of a flirt and I'm only messing around with his feelings.' Her light gray eyes flashed, burning a hole in his.

'No, no, it's not that,' Kakashi replied defensively. 'Look, I don't know how to say it, but …let's put it this way – I'm saying this not because I think you're fooling around with him.' He was looking at her with wary eyes.

Her gaze was still piercing but she uttered no words.

A suspenseful silence filled the air between them, and then when Kakashi finally spoke, his voice was quiet and serious. 'I think …' He hesitated. ' …You've already given your heart to someone else. Which is why …I thought – it would be impossible for you to do the same for Tenzou.'

At that moment, the look that shrouded her eyes was more than enough confirmation for Kakashi that he had hit the right note.

Her eyes dimmed visibly, and she turned away. Reiko was silent for a long moment and when she finally spoke, her voice was different. 'Tenzou …has always been the gentlest person to me. I always thought he was such an amazing guy, and that he was so nice to me because that's just simply how he's like, and that's how he treated everyone else. I never expected him to feel that way towards me. But when I found out …' she trailed off, lowering her eyes as she stared at the rushing river underneath.

Kakashi watched her quietly, listening.

'You asked if I was serious about him,' she continued in a voice scarcely above a whisper, merged with the sound of the gushing water. 'Honestly, I don't know how to describe my feelings for him. I couldn't put in words nor show you, to justify it all – but …what I know …is that he makes me happy. I feel like …when I'm with him …I can finally stop crying inside.'

Another silence stretched between them, the intensity of the moment compounded by the poignant sun setting beyond the horizon and the perpetual rush of the water in the valley below the cliff they were standing on.

'I'm sorry …for doubting you,' Kakashi said quietly.

'No …' Reiko's voice was barely audible. 'You were right.'

He glanced at her, waiting for her to say something more, but she remained silent. But even within the silence the unspoken words were as if they were louder than spoken ones. It was then that an undeclared understanding developed between them, and he instinctively knew it had something to do with the secret she had been keeping from him that had fueled so many of their arguments in the past.

***


	5. Episode V

episode V

'How long has it been since they left?' Reiko demanded. She was standing across from Tsunade, the fifth Hokage, after having just returned from a previous mission with her own team.

'A couple of days,' Tsunade replied gravely, which incurred a sharp stare from Reiko. She began to turn away, but Tsunade continued in a stern voice, 'You can't go after them, Reiko.'

Reiko paused, her eyes trained on the ground. 'I have to.'

Tsunade rose to her feet, and approached her, her hazel eyes filled with distress. 'We have sufficient teams out there tracking down the Uchiha brothers. And given that you've only just returned from a mission, sending you out to go after them is much too dangerous.'

'I can handle it,' Reiko insisted. Her gray eyes softened and a heartrending expression befell upon her features. 'Tsunade-sama. You're probably the only person in this world whom I can expect some empathy from in regards to this matter.'

Tsunade studied her expression, exhaling softly. 'Reiko,' she said, her voice quiet. 'Although I tolerate your association with Uchiha Itachi, it doesn't mean that I approve of it. Being associated with him has brought you enough pain and troubles from all over. While I know deep within my heart that you will never betray Konoha, there are others in the higher echelons who fail to share my beliefs about you. I know you are still bound to the past that you shared with him, but at the end of the day he is still a ruthless member of a criminal organization that threatens what we and the past generations have fought for.'

'There is more to this than meets the eyes,' Reiko replied softly. She paused. ''When truth is revealed …it will be either a refreshing rain after a hot summer day – or an unforgiving storm disrupting a peaceful spring day.' That was what he told me once.' She closed her eyes. 'Tsunade-sama …I am grateful for your patience and empathy so far but right now, there is only one thing that I must do. Even if I fail to accomplish this goal …at the very least, I can manage to live with the fact that I tried my best.'

Tsunade exhaled quietly. 'What is this …'goal' you are referring to?'

Reiko shook her head forlornly and stared out the window. 'To put it simply …I have to stop Itachi from fighting his brother.'

Tsunade's eyes were scrutinizing Reiko intently, trying to understand her reasons. 'The strife between the brothers cannot be understood by others, but you, Reiko …for you to feel so strongly about their rivalry …' She paused, as if hesitating. 'Tell me …what exactly is your true relationship with Uchiha Itachi?'

Reiko's eyes dimmed slightly, but no words came out.

'You are willing to disregard everything else to protect that …whatever relationship, whatever bond that you have with him – and willing to put your life at stake to impede the inevitable fight between the Uchiha brothers. I think it is fair to say that your involvement with him was neither casual nor business,' Tsunade speculated, her hazel eyes narrowing slightly.

A short yet heavy silence hung in the air.

'You are …in love with him, are you not?' It was more of a statement than a question that required confirmation. When that incurred no response, Tsunade exhaled quietly.

'I'm not …' Reiko trailed off and turned her face away, as if veiling her expression. 'I guess …it's more like – I can't be in love with him. Because of this world that we live in, this life that we are trapped in …' When she faced Tsunade again, her eyes were brimming with tears. 'Please …understand. I'm not doing this because I'm in love with him. I have to do it …because I can't live the rest of my life in regret.'

Tsunade could see the stark pain in her light gray eyes. She knew there was no room left for argument, and she knew that for Reiko to be so headstrong in this matter, her own reasons for it must have been elicited by something deep within her. Be it her own emotions, or whatever secrets she knows about the Uchiha brothers …one thing for sure was that she was willing to do anything for that reason. 'When this has blown over, I only want you to tell me the truth about everything,' she said in a quiet voice. 'Do what you must, but …come back alive.'

Reiko's eyes glistened as she nodded. 'Thank you, Tsunade-sama.' With that, Tsunade could only watch as she turned around and strode out of the office.

***


	6. Episode VI

episode VI

It didn't take long for Reiko to pick up the trails of both the Konoha and Sasuke's teams with her highly sensitive chakra-sensing technique, considering that each team consisted of multiple persons with powerful chakra moving at incredible speeds, which only made it easier for her to detect.

Perched atop an old tree branch, Reiko focused on the locations of the Konoha and Sasuke's teams and discovered that they were traveling in different directions. She could only assume this meant that the Konoha team hadn't found Sasuke. Needless to say, pursuing Sasuke's trail would have the highest likelihood of crossing paths with Itachi.

She leapt off the branch and sped off, her mind drifting off to some faraway past of hers that felt so distant …

..............................................

'_Uchiha Itachi.'_

'_Senryu Reiko.'_

'_Uchiha Shisui.'_

_She glanced up with surprise at the repeated name. Their sensei, Hayashi Yuji, cast a smile at the ten-year-old girl with bright gray-eyes._

'_Well! Looks like we're quite a team, aren't we?' Yuji said. 'I'd never thought they'll put two members of the Uchiha clan on the same team.' _

_Reiko looked over at the two boys sitting across from her on the grass field. They were staring back at her with the same curiosity. 'I heard about the Uchiha clan from my father,' she declared. 'You can use special techniques with your eyes, can't you?'_

'_Yeah,' Shisui responded, almost boastfully. 'It's what makes us so powerful.'_

_Reiko shook her head. 'That is only if the person who has it is talented enough to use it to its fullest potential.'_

_The other Uchiha was looking at them both intently. 'Having all that power isn't necessarily an advantage if one doesn't know how to use it for the right reasons,' he said quietly. _

_Yuji laughed at the big words spouting out of the mouths of these young kids. 'You're all quite right,' he said. 'Power in wrong hands can spell disaster.' He looked at the three eager faces and sensed the hidden raw potential beneath them. 'Before we get started on our training, I'd like to give you three a bit of advice. For three talented shinobis such as yourselves to be teamed up together, I think it's an incredible opportunity for each of you to make use of the strength of both your team members and yourself to discover your own true potential.' _

_He turned to Reiko. 'Reiko-chan, you are the youngest and yet most talented child of the Senryu clan, who possesses the unique ability to merge the nature's energy with your own, hence being capable of manipulating that energy to form most of the techniques known to ninjutsu. And the same goes for Sharingan, the powerful eye jutsu possessed by the Uchiha clan.'_

_Reiko nodded solemnly. 'I vow to be the strongest kunoichi in Konoha …for my clan's sake.'_

'_Even so, you will never be as strong as me,' Shisui bragged. 'My Sharingan is better than any lame techniques you can do.'_

_She scowled at him. 'Maybe you should say that only after you actually activate your Sharingan.'_

'_Someone as great as me can activate it anytime I want,' he continued with a smirk on his face. 'It's no sweat at all.'_

'_If that's the case, why do you still not have it?'_

'_Now, now, you two. There's no reason to fight over silly things like that,' Yuji interrupted their little brawl. _

_The quiet Uchiha was studying Reiko with dark, intense eyes. 'Sorry, sensei. Please forgive Shisui's immaturity. I hope you don't think all our clan members are as self-absorbed as he is.'_

'_Hey!' Shisui glared at him. 'You're supposed to be on my side, Itachi!'_

_Reiko let out a small giggle, and at that moment, Itachi's dark eyes fell upon hers. Their eyes met briefly, and for the first time, she saw his smile._

..............................................

Reiko lowered herself to a crouch and picked up a broken twig in the midst of a pile of dried twigs. The energy flowing from the twig that intertwined with her own chakra, was familiar.

Someone with a chakra field that she recognized had recently stepped on it. She closed her eyes. The whirl of energy around her gradually came to focus, and within a few seconds, she identified the person.

_Hoshigaki Kisame._ Reiko took off in the direction of the trail that she could pick up.

It was faint, but she felt the distance between Kisame's chakra and that of Sasuke and his team reducing by the second. It could only mean that it wouldn't be long before they caught up with each other.

..............................................

'_Well, that was a piece of cake.' Shisui let out a dramatic yawn as the three of them rested under a large, ancient tree._

'_That's easy for you to say,' Reiko scoffed. 'Since all you did was dodge and duck every time the enemy attacked us.'_

'_The team leader is supposed to be protected by his underlings,' he commented with a bored expression on his face._

_Reiko crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. 'What kind of rubbish are you spouting? You're not the team leader. Get your head out of the clouds and fac –' Before she could finish her sentence, a shadow fell over her eyes, and Reiko saw the impending attack about to occur by sensing the change in the flow of energy around them. _

_The tree that they had been resting on exploded suddenly, but not before she used her chakra shield technique to form a hemispherical barrier around them. Using the chakra shield took a lot out of her, especially after having gone through endless battles for the past few hours as part of the Chuunin exam. _

_No sooner did the enemies leap out of their hiding positions that her chakra shield dissipated, leaving them vulnerable. _

_Itachi leapt to his feet and stood next to her, facing their enemies. 'Reiko, don't push yourself too hard. Using that chakra shield uses up a lot of your energy, and you've already used it several times. Leave these guys to us.'_

_Reiko glanced at him, her eyes determined. 'Thanks for worrying, Itachi. But I can't let the two of you fight three of them.' As soon as the words left her mouth, their opponents launched their attacks. _

_Her opponent was a skilled genjutsu user but she managed to dispel his attacks easily. She sent him into a hypnotic state with her hypnosis technique, and just as he collapsed onto the ground unconscious, Reiko started to turn around to help her teammates when a solid object slammed into her, throwing her off balance. _

_The impact of Shisui's body being thrown against her was so powerful that the two of them crashed into a large rock behind her and shattered it into pieces._

_Reiko felt an agonizing jolt running through the entire length of her body. She grabbed Shisui's shoulders and shoved him off just as the same opponent came lunging at them again with a katana. She impeded his attack with a kunai and retaliated using one of her special jutsu – the poison manipulation technique. Icy-blue droplets started forming, and as soon as it formed a thick bluish cloud around her hand, she thrust it into her enemy's body. He collapsed without another move, as the poison rapidly immobilized his nervous system, and so did she._

_She was almost out of energy and she was breathing hard as she tried to stand up. In that moment, she saw the other attacker hurling a string of explosive-tagged kunais at her and Shisui, and although her eyes could take in the instant urgency, she had no time to react. _

_As she readied herself for another chakra shield with what was left of her strength, a swift movement out of the corner of her eyes caught her attention, and she saw Itachi deflecting the string of kunais with his own kunai and moving in to attack their enemy. She barely had time to relax when the opponent suddenly appeared behind her._

'_Reiko!'_

_She didn't know if it was Itachi or Shisui who called out to her; she scarcely had enough energy to stand, let alone fight. The enemy lifted one hand crackling with raw chakra, and dove for her._

_She anticipated the impact, but it never came. As Reiko's eyes fluttered open, what she saw shocked her – Itachi had moved in between them and pierced the opponent's chest with a kunai just as the jutsu struck him in the shoulder. Everything around her seemed to slow down._

_In front of her, the enemy crumpled limply onto to the ground, defeated._

'_Itachi!' she cried, rushing towards him as he fell to his knees. She lowered herself next to him. 'Oh God, are you alright?'_

_His hand was grasping his injured shoulder tightly. 'Yeah,' he said, wincing. 'They were pretty strong.'_

_Shisui stumbled towards them. 'Are you guys okay?'_

_She nodded her head weakly. 'I'm fine.'_

_Itachi glanced at Reiko, his dark eyes clouded with concern. 'You took a pretty powerful hit when Shisui collided with you.'_

_Her eyes fell on Shisui, who had a grin on his face. 'It would've been worse if you'd crashed alone into that rock,' she said. 'You owe me one, Shisui.'_

_Shisui looked at her gratefully. 'I know. Thanks for being my landing pad,' he kidded. 'I'll be yours next time.'_

_Reiko rolled her eyes. 'Whatever. You talk too much.'_

_Itachi mustered a faint smile as he listened to them. 'Actually, you two bicker too much. Maybe if you stop annoying Reiko, we'll be able to focus better and finish this Chuunin exam earlier, Shisui.'_

_She smiled. 'Well said.' _

'_It's not my fault she gets provoked so easily,' Shisui said._

'_I do not!'_

_He grinned. 'What did I just say?'_

'_Alright, enough, you two.' Itachi rose to his feet. 'Come on, we gotta go. Find a place to get some rest before we head on.' He reached down as grasped Reiko's hand, helping her to her feet. _

'_Thanks. I'm okay, really,' Reiko told him gratefully. 'And thanks for earlier.'_

_Itachi glanced at her. 'Don't mention it.'_

'_Hmph. Acting all tough,' she said playfully. 'You Uchiha guys are all the same.' _

'_Don't lump me in with Shisui,' Itachi replied half-jokingly. _

'_Hey, I heard that.' Shisui approached them. 'Geez, you two. Get a room already. I don't remember you ever being that nice to me, Itachi. You always give her the special treatment.'_

_Itachi's eyes met hers, and he gave her a surreptitious smile as if they both shared a secret that only the two of them knew. 'Well …someone has to do it.'_

_Shisui faked a gag. 'You two disgust me.'_

***


	7. Episode VII

episode VII

Reiko felt the distance closing in between her and Kisame as she breezed through the forest. Her head was throbbing and she could hear the blood rushing to her head. She felt as if a floodgate that suppressed all the memories of her past had been burst open, and now the memories were gushing out like a waterfall.

Up ahead, although it was faint, she could sense Kisame's chakra moving at a high speed. Clasping her hands together to perform the hand seals, she focused her chakra to give her a quick boost. She leapt off another tree branch, and in a blink of an eye, landed right in front of Kisame.

Kisame did a double take, and would have collided heads on into her had he not plunged his Samehada deep into the ground to halt himself abruptly. His eyes widened with sheer surprise. ' …Reiko?'

Reiko stood firmly a few feet away from him. 'It's been a while, Kisame.'

He stared at her for a moment, then chuckled. 'Well …I'll be damned. I sure as hell didn't expect to run into you.'

'Frankly, neither did I. But I couldn't sense Itachi's chakra, and since you're the closest one to him that I can get to, I decided to pay you a visit.'

'Itachi has something else to deal with,' Kisame said.

Reiko's gray eyes darkened slightly as she stared at him. 'I know he's going after Sasuke. Where is he?'

He looked at her warily. 'If you can't sense him, that means he's suppressing his chakra so that you won't be able to detect him,' he speculated hesitantly. 'He probably knows you'll try to stop him.'

_Itachi …_The urgency inside her heart was growing by the minute. A light breeze fluttered the leaves on the trees around them, and she inhaled sharply.

'Then why are you after Sasuke's team?' Her sharp gray eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Kisame paused, the expression on his face looking as if something he was attempting to hide had just been discovered. 'Itachi wanted me to make sure that only Sasuke makes it to their meeting point.'

Her heart skipped a beat. 'You're helping him?'

'It's his battle. Who am I to stand in his way?' Kisame responded grimly.

'He's going up against Sasuke. You really think this battle will have a positive outcome?' she asked, her eyes filled with incredulity.

'Itachi will never lose to his little brother,' Kisame said with confidence.

Reiko stared at him, her eyes dimming a little as she inhaled sharply. 'Are you willing to bet your life on that?'

Kisame only looked at her, trying to figure her out.

'Sasuke has been training under Orochimaru for the past couple of years and I'd imagine that he has obtained unimaginable power. He could end up killing his brother,' she went on quietly. 'We both know that the battle won't end until one of them either gives up …or loses his life.'

'Reiko …you really do care about Itachi. But I would've thought that you had more faith in him.'

'It's not that I don't have enough faith in him,' Reiko said fervently. 'I do. All I'm trying to do is protect him. I know you've worked alongside with him all these years, but I'm sorry when I say that I think I know him better than you do. Or more specifically …' Reiko turned her head slightly and her eyes lowered. ' …I know more about the real him, than you do. I'm telling you this because …this whole thing is part of his plans. He wanted it to turn out this way, and it did. But I can't just stand aside and let him put his life at risk.'

'But you can't interfere with their fight,' Kisame said. 'You might end up getting hurt if you get caught in the middle.'

'Just tell me where he is,' she said, her eyes imploring him.

Kisame stared silently at her, his eyes displaying obvious hesitation. 'I'm sorry, Reiko. I can't.' He paused. 'It's not because I'm not empathizing with you. It's just that he made me swear not to tell you.'

Reiko shook her head. 'Fine. I will find him myself.' She turned around to leave.

'Wait, Reiko.'

She stopped, but didn't turn back to face him.

'I hope you don't misunderstand. Itachi doesn't want me to tell you because he wants to keep you from getting involved in this whole situation, not because he's pushing you away.' Kisame took a few steps closer to her, and paused. 'He's trying to protect you. Really, you two are …'

As Reiko closed her eyes, she felt tears stinging the back of her eyelids. 'It's always like this with him. He doesn't understand that his altruism only makes it harder for me.'

'Reiko …'

'Goodbye, Kisame.' As the words left her lips, Reiko fled off into the depths of the forests, aimlessly and only towards where she felt her heart could take her.

..............................................

'_W-What do you mean?'_

'_It appeared that …he committed suicide,' Hayashi Yuji was saying. _

_Reiko felt dizziness threatening to overwhelm her consciousness. 'No …' she shook her head feebly. 'It …can't …be. Shisui would never …'_

_Yuji placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. 'I'm sorry, Reiko. They found his body this morning. There was no evidence of foul play. And more importantly …he left behind a suicide note.'_

_Suicide …_

_He killed himself …?_

_No, that's impossible._

_The earlier conversation she had with Yuji-sensei replayed repeatedly in her mind like a needle stuck in the record, as Reiko sat perched on the front steps of the Uchiha family's home. She felt numb, detached, and she had lost all sense of time. She wasn't aware of how long she had been sitting there, staring at the ground, when a familiar voice suddenly broke into her deep thoughts._

'_Reiko? What brings you here?'_

_She looked up, and saw Itachi standing over her. Her eyes fell on his uniform; he was wearing the official ANBU uniform, a tattoo adorning his left upper arm. It was the first time she saw him in his full ANBU uniform. 'Itachi …'_

_He looked at her quietly, then lowered himself on one of the steps next to her. 'I guess you heard about …Shisui.'_

_She could only nod in silence, as she feared that if she tried to speak, she would start crying. She took a deep, shaky breath. 'They said it was a suicide.' She paused, trying to suppress her emotions. 'Can you believe that? Shisui would never do something like that.'_

'_There was a note, too.' Itachi lowered his gaze to the ground, propping his elbows on his knees, his hand intertwined loosely between both knees. _

'_It doesn't prove that he killed himself,' Reiko argued. 'The real murderer could have mimicked his handwriting to evade suspicions of murder and make it look like a suicide.'_

_There was a silence as Itachi only stared quietly at the ground. _

_Reiko glanced over at him, puzzled. She wondered if his silence meant that he was worried, or …something else. She couldn't figure it out. 'Itachi …?'_

_A short hesitation sheathed the silence before he spoke. 'Sometimes, Reiko …ignorance is bliss. And __when the truth is revealed …it will be either a refreshing rain after a hot summer day or an unforgiving storm disrupting a peaceful spring day.'_

_She stared at him, a perplexed expression plastered on her face, trying to understand his words._

'_If we know the truth …will it make us all happier?' he continued, not lifting his head even once. 'Or will it cast a heavier burden upon us?'_

'_I would rather risk the chance of having either of that, instead of living the rest of my life in the shadows,' Reiko asserted in a quiet voice. 'We are who we are because of what we know. It's the mold that shapes our beliefs, our reasons to live, to love, to care, and to fight for all of that.' She looked at him, pausing. 'For you to be saying those words, Itachi …I assume you know more than you're letting on.'_

_Another hollow silence entered their conversation, enhanced by the gusts of wind sweeping past them. Itachi lifted one hand and placed his thumb and middle finger on his temples, closing his eyes. He looked as if he had a lot on his mind, and talking about it only burdened him even more. 'Although things appear normal on the surface, there's a lot going on right now with our clan. It's an …incredibly difficult time for us.'_

_Reiko was shocked to hear it, but she remained quiet as she looked on at him._

'_There is …a lot of darkness surrounding our clan's problems. Secrets, betrayals, deceits, lies …' Itachi trailed off. He exhaled heavily, and turned to face her, his eyes dimmed. 'Frankly, Reiko …you are better off not knowing any of these detrimental facts shrouding our lives.'_

_Her eyes lowered, and she glanced offside. It was as if he had just told her that she was an outsider who would never understand. Reiko smiled mirthlessly. 'You always treat me like a child whom you need to protect from the evils of the world.'_

_Itachi was silent, but he gazed back at her. 'You're half-right. But I don't treat you like a child.' He reached over and covered her hand with his. 'One day …when the time is right – I promise …I will reveal the entire truth to you.'_

***


	8. Episode VIII

episode VIII

As if the reminiscing was draining all her energy away, Reiko began to feel faint, although it was only for the briefest moment. She didn't know if it was the long-suppressed memories flooding back to her in such a short span of time, or because she had been speeding through the forests of the Fire country for the past few hours without taking a break.

The unexpected presence of a familiar chakra jolted her to an abrupt stop. Her senses tingled, and as soon as she identified it, her heart thudded loudly.

She spun around, her heart skipping a beat.

Perched atop of a low branch, with an arm propped on a raised knee and the other leg dangling freely, gazing down directly back at her, was none other than Itachi. 'Hello, Reiko.'

She stared in stunned surprise, as he leapt off the branch lithely and approached her, stopping a few feet away.

'I've been waiting for you,' he told her.

Reiko looked at him warily. She was sure that Itachi would already be at the rendezvous point waiting for Sasuke to show up. Which meant that this could not be his real body. He must've sent a shadow clone to wait for her, most probably to delay her from finding their locations. 'Itachi, you …'

An unexpected smile crossed his face. 'I know what you're thinking. But that's not why I'm here.'

Reiko did not take her eyes off him. 'I don't suppose you're here to tell me where you really are.'

He looked at her briefly, his eyes expressing repentance. 'You know I can't let you get caught up in this mess. I just want to talk to you. It's been so long since we've had any time alone.'

Despite her initial resolve, she felt herself softening. She lowered herself onto an enormous tree root sticking out of the ground. 'How could we?' Reiko asked quietly, although she wasn't warranting for an answer. 'We're on opposite sides. Those higher-ranked officials in Konoha are already getting suspicious because of our multiple encounters.'

Itachi glanced at her sideways. 'You are their prized treasure, with your elite background of the revered Senryu clan. There's no way they will turn against you. They have no choice but to accept it eventually.'

'I wonder.' Reiko was quiet. 'Perhaps it would be better for everyone if I left Konoha.'

'You can't do that. It's your home,' he objected immediately.

'As it was yours,' she pointed out without hesitation.

Itachi gazed at her, then took a seat across from her on another jutting tree root. 'I had no choice. But you do. I don't want you to live the rest of your life in hiding and on the constant run.'

Reiko held his gaze, her eyes despondent. 'If it's a life I can have with you, I couldn't care less about all of that,' she said softly.

A sad expression clouded his features. He quietly reached out and took her hand in his, gently intertwining his fingers with hers. 'As tempting as that sounds …I can't risk upsetting the peaceful life you have attained in Konoha.'

Her features contorted with resentment. 'Which was bought at the price of your own life,' she responded bitterly.

'If it is to protect you, and the village you live in, I'll do whatever it takes, Reiko.'

She shook her head at him. 'Your idea of protecting me is way too different from that of my own.' Reiko glanced away, her eyes settling on the ground. 'How do you think it makes me feel …to have to lose you because of those ungrateful and ignorant people in Konoha who are not the slightest bit hesitant about using you as a sacrifice?'

He only looked at her, saying nothing.

'All these years …being exiled from Konoha, branded as a ruthless mass murderer, stripped of everything you once had in your life …' Reiko lifted her head, tears stinging her eyes. 'Your suffering is my grief too …Itachi.' Her fingers grasped his hand tightly with emotions. 'Even the distance could not dampen the anguish of learning what you have suffered.'

A faint, mirthless smile lit his face as he squeezed her hand. 'I know, and I'm sorry for that. For bringing grief to your life. Which is why I have tried to keep you out of all this,' Itachi replied quietly.

'It doesn't make it easier for me,' Reiko griped tearfully. 'All I want is to be there for you, but I can't. It's always been like this …there is never anything that I can do for you.' She turned her face away as a tear escaped her eye and slipped down her cheek slowly.

Itachi gazed at her silently, his eyes dejected. He said nothing for a few moments. 'Hey …remember that time, when you snuck out of the village to look for me?' he suddenly asked.

Reiko glanced at him. She sniffled and nodded, letting out a quiet sigh.

He looked down at his left wrist, where a simple black cord intertwined with two metal loops dangled. Itachi gently fingered an identical one on Reiko's right wrist. 'It was my twenty-first. You've always remembered …ever since the first time we met, almost twelve years ago.'

She gazed at him, then the faintest smile lit her features. 'It's probably the only day of the year that I've always looked forward to.'

Itachi returned her smile. 'Remember that waterfall we went to?'

'_Our_ waterfall.' Her smile deepened slightly. 'I wanted to go to the hot springs but you wanted to sleep under the stars. As if you don't get enough of that already.'

He slid an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to his side. 'We don't get enough privacy in those hot spring resorts. They could have identified me in a second.'

Reiko leaned against him, feeling the familiar contour of his body she had missed so much. 'I remember that like it was just yesterday,' she whispered. 'You insisted on jumping in nude.'

A rare, mischievous smile crossed his attractive features. 'It was so hot. You didn't need any clothes.'

She smiled and lifted her head. 'It was the perfect night to go skinny-dipping.'

Itachi leaned close, and tenderly pressed his lips on her forehead. 'It was the best birthday present.' He exhaled quietly and rested his forehead against hers. 'Just being with you …is always enough for me. There is nothing more I could ask for.'

Reiko closed her eyes, savoring just being close to him. 'As for me too.'

'Being with you keeps me happy, Reiko. And that's more than what anyone has, or can ever do for me,' he said quietly. 'All the memories, the laughter, the tears – be it joy, sadness, anger and even pain …if they were shared with you, it was all worth experiencing.'

A thick lump in her throat welled up as tears began slipping from beneath her eyelids and sliding down her cheeks silently.

'Being able to see you, hold you, talk to you, wake up next to you, touch you …to know that you would come especially for me, even when you're busy or unwell …that even after all these years and all that distance, I can still hold you in my arms the same way as I did when I first held you …' The expression in his eyes was heartrending. 'These are the reasons I couldn't risk losing.'

Reiko's face was buried in his shoulder, the tears now flowing freely as if a dam within her had burst open.

Itachi lifted her chin gently and stared sadly into her moist gray eyes. 'Do you see it, Reiko? I can't ever …lose you.'

'I don't want to lose you either,' she whispered in a voice barely audible.

Itachi lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers. 'You won't. I'll always be here for you. Thank you …for being by my side all this time,' he whispered. A whirlpool of emotions swept around her, as the familiar feel and taste of his lips brought back the wave of tears to her stinging eyes. There was a sense of finality in his kiss, and she never wanted to let go.

If, for the sake of having the time stand still and letting her stay like this in his arms forever, it meant surrendering her soul …Reiko would not hesitate even the slightest bit.

When their lips parted, Itachi closed his eyes and uttered almost inaudibly, 'Forgive me, Reiko.'

It wasn't until he dissipated suddenly from her touch that she remembered that he was only a shadow clone.

Reiko leapt to her feet, brushing the tears from her cheeks as the urgency hit her like a cold bucket of ice water. She channeled her chakra, and focused. The lingering chakra that his shadow clone had left behind could lead her to the location of his real form.

It took her less than half a minute. As soon as she located his chakra, she felt terror rising within her. There was no time to waste.

Without waiting a second longer, she took off in the direction of his weakening chakra field.

………………………………………

_On that fateful night …_

_She felt his chakra right before he leapt into her field of vision. Reiko started running towards him. 'Itachi!' she cried out. _

_He stopped, but didn't turn around. Even in the darkness, enhanced by the thick forests, she could see the dark splotches of blood staining his ANBU uniform and his hands. _

'_What's going on?' Reiko demanded, breathless as she finally caught up with him. She opened her mouth to say more, but the look on his face dissolved the words in her throat. 'Itachi …'_

'_Go home, Reiko.' His voice was strained._

_Reiko shook her head stubbornly. 'What's gotten into you? What have you done?' she demanded, her heart thumping loudly in her chest._

_Itachi's jaw clenched. 'It was me …Reiko. I killed Shisui …just as how I killed everyone in my clan tonight.' His voice sounded different, emotionless._

_Her eyes widened in utter shock, and she felt her body turning numb. For a moment, she couldn't speak. _

'_Now go. You shouldn't be seen with me.' He started to turn away._

'_No …' Reiko couldn't stop herself from reaching out and grabbing his blood-stained arm. 'It can't be …you're lying.' Her voice was trembling. 'You would never do such a thing.'_

_When his dark, ominous eyes met hers, she saw the mirage of unmistakable agony in them. 'I am not the person you thought you knew. The 'me' you know …no longer exists, as of tonight. It was all an illusion.'_

'_Why …? Why did you …' It was as if she could no longer control her muscles, nor her speech. _

'_I had to. They deserved it.'_

'_No!' The shrill cry sounded was so foreign to her that it took a few moments for it to sink into her muddled brain, that the cry had came from her. 'Stop it! Stop lying to me, Itachi.'_

_He stared at her, his expression hard. 'I have been telling you nothing but the truth.'_

_Tears of anguish streaked her face. 'You couldn't have …you hate fighting …you'd never …kill …' Reiko felt dizziness shrouding her bewildered mind._

_Itachi closed his eyes. 'You didn't know the real me. You were deceived …along with everyone else.'_

'_Yes, I do. I know you,' she argued defiantly. 'It wasn't an illusion nor was it a deception …' She shook her head. 'Stop lying to yourself, and to me. Please …just tell me the truth …tell me …what's really going on …'_

_His eyes opened, and it was as if the previous façade had fallen off. He held her gaze in silence. 'I can't do that, Reiko.'_

_Reiko's grip on his arm tightened, but she didn't care even though she felt her nails digging into his flesh. 'I am the only person left in this world who will continue to have faith in you no matter what, Itachi,' she said fervently. 'I'm the only one you can trust.'_

_He remained silent._

_Reiko continued persistently, refusing to give up. 'You made a promise, didn't you? You promised that one day you would tell me the entire truth.'_

_Itachi gazed down at her, and for the first time, she saw that his eyes were glistening. 'I have to go now. Before they find me.' He turned to leave._

'_Don't go!' Reiko refused to release her grip on his arm. 'Itachi …'_

_He paused. 'If you really meant what you said, Reiko …meet me at that waterfall precisely one week from now.' With that, Itachi disappeared into the engulfing shadows of the night._

***


	9. Episode IX

episode IX

Reiko's heart accelerated in urgency as she finally arrived at the area of the Uchiha hideout – or what it once was. Before her eyes, all that remained was nothing even remotely recognizable; it was as if a violent war had broken out. Never had she seen such chaotic state blanketed by such lifeless silence, yet in the midst of it all, she could sense not a speck of chakra.

_Itachi …_

While his shadow clone had been holding her up, the real him had been fighting with Sasuke right here.

Without any further hesitation, Reiko dashed towards the Uchiha hideout, the sound of the blood rushing in her ears almost deafening. _Please …_A million thoughts were firing back and forth through her mind as she sprinted towards the core of the chaotic mess. Her eyes frantically scanned the ruins, the collapsed stone structures scattered into a million pieces as if they were merely made of cookies.

_No …_

It was as if her brain could not comprehend what her eyes were showing her. A few feet away from where she stood, amidst the unruly wreck, two motionless figures lay lifelessly on the broken ground. Reiko's hand involuntarily flew to her mouth as a soft gasp escaped her throat.

The blood coursing through her veins seemed to turn ice cold; her vision became hazy and blurred, her body racked with sheer numbness.

It took every last bit of her strength to move her numb, rubbery legs and stumble towards the lifeless bodies.

Silent as death …not one single twitter of a bird, nor the faint rush of a nearby river, nor even the light whoosh of the breeze could be heard.

Time stood still.

_Forgive me …_

……………………………………….

'_Happy birthday.'_

_Reiko whirled around, surprised. A smile spread across her face. 'You remembered?'_

'_Since when did I ever forget?' Itachi stepped forward and studied her carefully. 'Did you get a haircut?'_

_She nodded coyly. 'Two weeks ago.'_

'_I like it.' He gave her a lingering hug. 'It's been a while since we last saw each other, hasn't it.'_

_Her lips curved into a pout. 'Two months, three weeks, and two days.' _

_Itachi smiled, and lowered his head to kiss her pout away. 'I'm sorry. It's been hectic.'_

'_It's been hard for me to get away without being detected either,' Reiko admitted, toying with the half-open zip on his Akatsuki cloak. 'The situation in Konoha is climaxing.'_

'_As it has been for us too,' Itachi replied quietly, tracing a finger along her delicate cheekbone. 'Well, now that you're here, we can leave all of that behind.'_

_He took her hand and led her to sit on the soft grass, the eternal sound of the gushing waterfall providing the perfect ambience. She exhaled blissfully as she leaned into him, her light gray eyes staring up at the velvety night sky. _

'_Here.'_

_Reiko turned lazily, and saw something dangling in front of her eyes. It was a black cord with interlaced with two metal loops. 'What is this?'_

'_It's your birthday gift.' Itachi took her hand. _

_Reiko glanced at him, confused. 'What am I supposed to do with it?' As soon as the question left her mouth, he slipped it onto her wrist. 'It's a …bracelet?' _

'_Of course. Can't you tell by the exquisite handmade design?'_

_She couldn't hold back a smile. 'You made this yourself?'_

_Itachi glanced at her, his eyes gleaming. 'Yeah.'_

_Reiko's eyes fell to the identical one on his wrist. 'It's the same as yours,' she realized._

'_I know …that's the whole point.' He toyed with one of the metal loops on her bracelet. 'These loops are meant to signify eternal bond …two of them, because each one represents one of us. Intertwined with the black cord …they are forever linked together. Do you like it?'_

_The words leisurely settled in her brain, coated with the obscured implications. Reiko smiled as she looked into his sincere eyes and leaned forward to kiss him gently. 'I love it,' she whispered._

_He held her close, his eyes staring at her in a soft gaze. 'That is …no matter where we are, how far the distance pulled us apart …I will always be with you.'_

_When she gazed back at him, Reiko's eyes were filled with unspeakable emotions. 'I …always dread being so far from you.'_

'_It can't be helped.' Itachi held her hand in his and squeezed it gently. 'But you have to promise me that you'll be strong …one day when I'm gone …I don't want you to live the rest of your life in grief.'_

'_Don't say such things so blithely!' Reiko objected, her expression contorted with sorrow. 'I won't let you go without me.'_

_Itachi smiled faintly. 'Silly girl. You're the one who's talking so carelessly. I would never …let that happen.'_

……………………………………….

Her legs gave out underneath her, and Reiko collapsed onto her knees next to the motionless body on the ground. She felt breathless, as if the air around her was slowly diminishing in the supply of oxygen. Her breath became short, silent gasps as a wave of dizziness hit her.

The reality was too cruel for her to accept. Here, lying on the ground lifelessly, was the cold and tattered body of the man whom she had been holding in her arms only a few minutes ago.

Her cold hand reached out and touched his ice-cold cheek, stained with blood, that was once warm with rushing life blood.

His dark eyes that were once intense and reflected a kaleidoscope of emotions, were now lifeless and had lost the luster they once had.

His sensuous lips, that had once touched hers in the gentlest manner and spoken words no one had ever said to her …were now drained of any remaining signs of life.

A wild swirl of emotions shot through her body, sending her mind into turmoil._ No …Itachi …_

A scream of anguish suddenly escaped her throat before she could suppress it.

She cradled his head in her arms and it was then that the sudden, uncontrollable sobs exploded out of her, racking her entire body.

Reiko held him tightly, and with her head lowered, she cried heartbrokenly, her devastated tears trickling down onto his once lively features. The agony tore through her like a jagged saw violently slicing through her body.

'No …' She wept desolately.

A vortex of ephemeral images flashed fleetingly through her mind. She heard Itachi's soothing voice say, '_I will protect you no matter what …' _and his kind smile loomed into view, before disappearing into the void darkness. His smile faded and his eyes were filled with pain, and he was saying, '_I'm sorry for putting you through all this …'_

The images became more vivid, and she saw herself in the waterfall, shivering from the cold water, and he wrapped his arms around her and said, '_You always need me around to protect you …what would you do without me …' _She saw the image disintegrating and another looming into view, and it was of them snuggling together on a cliff watching the sun setting beyond the horizon, and he was saying, '_Do you know …this is the ninety-ninth time that we've watched the sunset together …' _and she had looked at him in bewilderment as he took out a kunai and cut another slash into the large, old tree that they were leaning on, and saw the rest of the slashes neatly lining the trunk of the tree …_'How many more sunsets will we see together, I wonder …?'_

Everything receded into the background, and she was staring into his eyes, and she heard his words, _'I'm sorry, Reiko, for not being able to give you the life you wanted …'_

The scene disappeared into the thin air, and she was joyfully running towards him, and he grabbed her into his strong arms, whispering, '_I've missed you so much …_', and then their surroundings transformed and they were underneath the velvet black sky speckled with countless stars, and he was lying on top of her, his face flushed and his eyes deep with emotions, and he told her, '_I'm sorry it took me so long to say this, but …'_

' …_I love you.'_

***


	10. Episode X

episode X

Gradual like the rise of the morning sun, the consciousness returned. Her eyes slowly opened as she struggled to see through the blurriness. _Where …am I …?_ Her head throbbed painfully.

'You're finally awake.'

At the sound of the voice, Reiko turned, startled. The sudden movement sent another jolt of pain up her neck. She flinched. 'Ugh …'

'Relax. It's just me.' A silhouette loomed into view from the eerie shadows. 'I had to take you somewhere else before you were found by the Konoha team,' Kisame explained. He perched onto a low rock where his Samehada was propped against, his eyes fixed steadily on her.

Reiko struggled to sit up, her head clouded with grogginess. She rubbed her temples and closed her eyes. 'What happened …?' she asked almost inaudibly.

Kisame stared at her mystified expression. 'You don't remember?'

Reiko inhaled sharply, trying to recall her thoughts. She glanced at the mouth of the cave that they were resting in, and saw the dusk had already fallen. _Fallen …_

Itachi's face flashed into her mind and lingered, instantly triggering fresh tears to her already stinging eyes. The fact that she was now conscious and fully aware of it made it so much harder. It was all so real – the pain that was so excruciating and that could only be felt, and not seen …the pain that was so agonizing it could never be healed …it was all real. 'He's …not coming back, is he …' she whispered heartbrokenly.

' …No, he's not …' Kisame lowered his eyes to the ground in front of him. 'I'm truly sorry, Reiko.'

A stab of agony drove through her heart as she fought back tears. She asked quietly, 'Tobi – no, Madara …and Zetsu – they took him away …?'

He nodded. 'Yeah. You …' He met her eyes. ' …did you – have the chance to see him …before he …?'

Reiko's eyes dimmed as she nodded once, her mind clearing as she vividly remembered Itachi's final words. Before she knew it, despite her greatest efforts to hold herself back, the tears began pouring down her cheeks. She couldn't speak. It was as if the only action that her body knew how to do at that moment, was to cry. The quiet sobs escaped her throat, sounding devastatingly piteous to even her own ears.

Kisame exhaled and approached her, lowering to a crouch next to her. He awkwardly placed a hand on her shoulder, but said nothing, as if simply letting her release her grief.

She brushed the tears away. 'He …sacrificed his life to protect the village that used him as a scapegoat,' she said, her voice strained with sorrow. 'The village …that I entrusted my heart and soul to …' Reiko closed her eyes. 'How can I return to that village …? It will …never be the same again. Nothing will be …' She took a deep, shaky breath and struggled to collect herself together. 'Sasuke …what happened to him?' she asked quietly.

Kisame glanced at her, hesitating. 'He's …still alive.'

Reiko scrutinized the sudden hesitance in his mannerisms, and said, 'What is it?'

He hesitated again. 'This may not be the best time to tell you, but …he has united with Akatsuki.'

She looked at him in shock. 'He …what?'

'After Madara came and took him away, he told Sasuke the truth about Itachi.' Kisame looked at her. 'He refused to believe at first …but Madara eventually convinced him. He made his decision to join Akatsuki to avenge Itachi's death.'

Reiko's eyes widened. 'Are you saying that …he's going against Konoha? After what his brother sacrificed his life for?'

Kisame shook his head, as if to tell her that it was hopeless. 'He's made up his mind. There is no going back.' He looked at her. 'You should return to Konoha, Reiko.'

Reiko closed her eyes. In the sheer darkness, she could feel every ounce of the agony falling upon her. 'I know. …That part of my life …is not over yet.'

'Yeah.' Kisame observed her warily, then paused. 'Actually …there's something else …'

Her eyes flew open, and stared directly at him. 'What …?'

He rummaged through his pocket and drew out something, extending it towards her. 'These are yours now.'

Reiko's eyes fell to his hand that was holding two items that looked painfully familiar. There, lain on the palm of Kisame's hand, were the bracelet identical to hers and Itachi's necklace that had matching design to the bracelet. She stared at them desolately as she slowly picked them up with cold, numb fingers.

'He …told me once that if ever anything happens …that I was to give these to you. He wanted you to keep them,' Kisame told her.

She took the two pieces of final remnants from Itachi and slipped them into her pocket. 'Thank you.'

Kisame watched her, as if deciding whether to say something else or not. He cleared his throat. 'You know …Itachi knows – about you and …that uh …other guy,' he ventured hesitantly.

Reiko's eyes flitted towards him, an expression of pure astonishment crossing her face before being replaced by remorse. She became very quiet. 'I …honestly didn't mean for it to happen. But it did, and …I didn't know what to do …'

Kisame glanced out of the cave, where the darkness had already enveloped the night. 'He didn't want to mention it to you that he knew. But I thought you should know, now that he's already gone. Aside from his brother, you were the only one he ever loved.'

Reiko's eyes were filled with sorrow. 'I know there's no point of me saying this now, but – I truly loved him. He was the one …that I gave my heart, my soul …my everything to.' She paused, lowering her eyes. 'I know what it looks like, but what I have with Tenzou was still too 'new' for me to decide …and I guess that's why I didn't mention it to Itachi. Being with him made me happy, but …I feel like there is nothing else I could give him, and perhaps …that's my worst sin.' She smiled mirthlessly, shaking her head as if disapproving herself. 'I'm really …heartless, aren't I.'

' …In a way, yeah,' Kisame responded truthfully. 'But I guess …Itachi knew that he couldn't always be there for you. And if there was someone else who can fill that role for him …it was enough for him. He never saw it as a betrayal. So …don't feel guilty. This is the life Itachi gave you.'

Despite her greatest efforts, tears stung her eyes, although this time they did not spill onto her cheeks. Reiko turned away. 'This life …' she whispered softly. 'Honestly, Kisame …there is nothing left in this world for me to go on with this life.'

All those surreptitious rendezvous through those years that they were apart …the concealed emotions, hidden confessions …their forbidden relationship …their dreams for the future they had promised each other …their undying faith to each other despite the distance …

They had all slipped through her fingers, like fine sand through a sieve, without the slightest chance for her to grasp and hold on to, not even to the smallest speck of hope.

She had lost it all in a blink of an eye.

Kisame looked at her for a long moment, then slowly rose to his feet. 'Reiko. Whatever you do, it has absolutely nothing to do with me. In reality, we are enemies – and you know it's nothing personal. But I respected Itachi, and that is the only reason why I'm doing this.' He gazed down at her. 'After everything he's risked his life for …are you truly willing to throw it all away?'

Reiko's light gray eyes stared at him unfalteringly, then she lifted herself to her feet. 'No,' she admitted.

Kisame studied her carefully and nodded. 'You know what his wishes are, so …fulfill them. Honor …his death.'

She briefly closed her eyes, slowly nodding once. 'Yeah …'

'That's all I wanted to tell you. You should return to Konoha. I'm certain that they're looking for you, as it has already been two days since you disappeared,' Kisame told her.

'I think at this point, they're already convinced that I have switched sides,' Reiko said regretfully.

'All the more reason for you to go.' Kisame looked at her, an expression of finality settling upon his face. 'Well, this is it …Reiko.'

She glanced at him, with genuine gratitude in her soft gray eyes. 'Thank you …for everything.'

***

_Konoha, Fire Country_

'It's been three days,' Tsunade said gravely, strands of her light brown hair fluttering around her face in the gentle breeze. She stood looking over the entire Konoha village, basked in the faint rays of the setting evening sun. _Senryu Reiko …where are you?_

Shizune glanced at her master. 'Tsunade-sama …should we assemble a team to find her?'

Tsunade lowered her eyes, exhaling heavily. 'We have no clue about her whereabouts. According to Kakashi's team and the rest of them, they only managed to trace her presence to the Uchiha hideout, just as they did with Sasuke. But …that was it. They couldn't pick up any further trails.'

'What do you deduce from that?' Shizune asked quietly.

'She might have been captured by Akatsuki.' A silence filled the air as Tsunade mused deeply. 'Reiko …huh …' She recalled Reiko's words, the urgency in her voice, the zealousness in her actions. 'She was …in love with Itachi.'

Shizune's eyes widened in disbelief. 'In love?' she demanded. 'What do you mean?'

Tsunade briefly glanced at her disciple, before turning back to watch the sunset. 'Just as it is. Senryu Reiko and Uchiha Itachi of the Akatsuki organization – they were seeing each other.'

Shizune could not hold back the sheer shock that she felt. 'Reiko …and Itachi? But – how in the world …?' she stuttered.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed slightly. 'Frankly, I'm not completely sure of the whole story myself. This is only what I could gather from the little information she gave me, and a whole lot of speculation on my own.' She paused, her eyes lowered. 'They were on the same genin team – that's how they met. After the violent tragedy that befell the Uchiha clan, Itachi fled the village and presumably, that was when he joined Akatsuki. It was during the time after he left that they started seeing each other in secret. And …unfortunately, that's all I know. I don't know what really happened.'

'I do.'

At the sound of the vaguely familiar voice, both Tsunade and Shizune glanced around curiously. Standing at the entry way to the verandah, clad in the typical ANBU uniform, was Senryu Ayako.

Tsunade looked at her in surprise. 'Ayako?'

Ayako was Reiko's sister, and also an elite member of the Senryu clan like Reiko. If Reiko was a genius in nature manipulation and poison techniques, Ayako's talents were more inclined to tactical and intuitive capabilities, which made her an indispensable leader of the ANBU squad. She was sharp and beautiful, and although they tried to keep it under wraps, Tsunade knew of her relationship with Kakashi. Ayako approached them, casting a sidelong glance at them. 'You …want to know what really happened?'

Tsunade's eyes met hers. 'Please.'

Ayako stepped towards the railing surrounding the balcony. 'You were right; they have been seeing each other for years.'

The stunned expression on Shizune's face did not falter. 'Years …? But …why him? I mean, I know they were childhood friends, but he's a wanted criminal. Reiko would be jeopardizing the trust of the Konoha people by associating with someone like him.'

Ayako lowered her eyes. 'And that was exactly what happened. She has the capabilities that surpass an average ANBU member, yet she was not accepted into ANBU because they were suspected that she still had ties with Itachi and decided that they couldn't trust her.'

Shizune looked perturbed. 'Why then …would she still keep her ties with him?'

Ayako casted a glance at Tsunade, then turned away. 'Because she was the only one he trusted enough to tell about what really happened …on that tragic night.' She closed her eyes, and recounted what Reiko had told her.

***


End file.
